QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RELATING TO THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST RAY EWART (VALID QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD MANNER)

Transcription

1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RELATING TO THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST BY RAY EWART (VALID QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD MANNER)

2 CONTENTS PAGE (S) INTRODUCTION 5 APPROACH 6 VIEWS REFLECTED IN THE QUESTIONS 8 QUESTIONS QUESTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECT 1 The broad sequence of events 11 2 Single or two- stage event 13 3 Will there be a secret Rapture 15 4 Will the saints be Raptured before The Great Tribulation 17 5 Does the Rapture occur at the same time as Christ s return in glory 19 6 Do 1Thess and Matt describe the same event 19 7 Is Matt.24 for Jews alone 23 8 Is John 14.3 for Jews alone 25 9 Are the parousia, the epiphaneia and the apokalupsis different Where did the two- stage return teaching come from Is The Great Tribulation just for the Jews 33 2

3 12 Are the trumpets of Rev and 1Cor the same Are the churches of Rev.2 and 3 future congregations Does the lord coming as a thief prove a secret Rapture Do the saints suffer God s wrath during The Great Tribulation Are Israel and The Church separate Are people saved by works during The Great Tribulation Are the gospel of the kingdom and of grace different Who or what is the restrainer of 2Thess Who are the enemies to be put under Christ s feet (1Cor.15.25) Will Christ return to live on the earth Why do we meet the Lord in the air Is there chaos on earth at the Rapture The judgement of saints and the marriage of the Lamb How and when does peace come for Jews and Gentiles Will anyone survive The Great Tribulation Are all unconverted people sent to hell when Jesus returns Who will be resurrected when Jesus returns Is there such a thing as inner darkness Will everyone on earth worship the Beast 87 3

4 31 Who are the 144, Who are the two witnesses Is the Lord s return imminent What is the sign of Christ s coming What generation does Matt refer to Is the falling away of 2Thess2.3 the Rapture Why is the secret Rapture teaching so popular How should we react to Christians of different views on the subject Will more Christians come to the same view on the subject in future Is Matt a description of the Rapture At a time future will we know beforehand when the Lord is coming Why are some prophecies hard to understand 115 APPENDIX

5 INTRODUCTION No one has all the answers! This booklet is not an attempt to show that I have more answers than someone else. It is simply the outcome of inviting questions and providing answers in an attempt to advance our knowledge and understanding of the most important event that will ever occur in the future of this world, namely the return of Jesus Christ. We can be certain that more questions will arise in the future, but perhaps this exercise will encourage us to search the Scriptures (John 5.39), as the Bereans did (Acts 17.11), for that is the only place where we will find the correct answers. In a previous book ( Your Redemption Draweth Nigh ) I attempted to identify where we are in God s program of events leading up to Christ s return and then to determine the approximate sequence of events that would lead to that climax. When I had completed the main text of the book I had a significant number of copies printed and distributed to people of varying views on the subject, requesting comments and questions on my views. Responses were encouraging and I included a brief section of Questions and Answers in the finalised version of the book. That exercise led me to the conclusion that a volume devoted to questions and answers is sorely needed. Hence this little volume! Shortly after release of the finalised edition of Your Redemption Draweth Nigh I was invited to the Philippines for a brief preaching tour, to speak on aspects of the views I had expressed in the book. All meetings concluded with question and answer sessions and these were so profitable that I became even more enthused about producing this little 5

6 volume. There could be few more effective ways of advancing people s knowledge and understanding of the subject than to let them ask questions and then proceeding to provide answers supported by Scriptures. After the tour, questions continued to come to me by . In the following pages I have attempted to address all issues raised. APPROACH For sake of clarity my approach is to make all points by way of a QUESTION and an ANSWER. To reduce the complexity of the answers I have, where possible, limited each question to one issue. Answering some questions tends to beg other questions but I have limited the answers to addressing solely the question that has been asked. The questions are worded as closely as possible to questions that have been put to me, either by or in Bible Study Groups or during one- to- one discussions or in question and answer sessions after preaching in meetings. However, in some cases I have amended the wording of the submitted questions to make either the intent of the question, or the wording of the answer more clear. The answers have been kept as short as possible but, at the same time, I have tried to answer all aspects of the questions. Some questions and answers inevitably overlap. In these instances I have tried to avoid unnecessary repetition. 6

7 So that readers understand my personal views on the subject I have worded the first question in such a way as enables me to state what I believe. The critically important aspect of the approach is that all answers are supported by references to the Scriptures. We have no other sound basis for our beliefs. For consistency I have used only one version of the Scriptures for quotations and references. In my previous book, Your Redemption Draweth Nigh, I used the King James Version, so, for any connection that may be made between it and this booklet I have stayed with that version. In the course of answering the questions it is inevitable that theological terms and religious jargon will be used. The Appendix at the end of the book explains the meaning of all terms considered to fall into that category. Truth is important! We need to be careful regarding what we believe and what we teach. We should take seriously WHAT WE BELIEVE on this important subject. Wrong beliefs lead to wrong attitudes and wrong actions. We should not, however, take OURSELVES too seriously. God will not alter His predetermined plans to suit what any of us believe, nor will He ask for our advice on any of His plans. In my experience most people believe what they have been taught, without closely checking it against the Scriptures. No sincere person would teach something unless they believed it. We should not, therefore, attack one another over our beliefs, but, rather, we should discuss our 7

8 beliefs openly, not fearing questions, to discover whether or not our beliefs stand scrutiny in light of the Word of God. I trust this booklet proves useful in that regard. In my early years as a believer I was taught by Dispensationalists. They were godly men and I respected their knowledge and sincerity. However, as I studied the Word of God for myself I began to see that such teachings as a two- stage return of Christ and the supporting belief in a Secret Rapture were not supported by the Scriptures. Eventually, in my reading of the Word of God, the whole dispensational system of the Church beginning at Pentecost and ending at an assumed secret Rapture with different gospels (of grace and of the kingdom) began to crumble before the clear teaching of the Scriptures. My hope and prayer is that this booklet will encourage and assist discussion of the subject of the return of Jesus Christ and that misconceptions, including any I currently possess, will be dispelled and will give way to a true understanding of the teaching contained in God s Word. VIEWS REFLECTED IN THE QUESTIONS Anyone studying the Lord s return very quickly learns that there are many schools of thought on the subject. As questions were put to me it 8

9 seemed, to me, that the majority of them were coming from people who had a background of Dispensationalist teaching. I must admit that this did not surprise me. In my experience I have found that people of a dispensationalist persuasion have (quite rightly) a keen interest in the subject. My reason for drawing this to the attention of those who read this booklet is to dispel any impression you might gain from reading it that I have loaded it with questions that give me an opportunity to attack the Dispensationalist position in particular. I have named and highlighted the Dispensational position (giving a definition of it in the Appendix) because it appears to lie behind so many of the questions, but the questions themselves are simply those that have been put to me. My views are made clear in the book ( Your Redemption Draweth Nigh ) and I have, in simple language, repeated them, up front, in the answer to question 1. Naturally my views set me at odds with every other school of thought on the subject. I have not, however, named those other schools of thought, nor have I made mention of the methods of interpretation of Scripture that lead to differing views, simply because I wished to avoid theological terms and religious jargon. In restricting myself to naming only one set of views opposed to my own I have probably named Dispensationalism in instances where they share a specific belief with other schools of thought. If so, I apologise to Dispensationalists (whom I love as fellow- believers) for any impression I have created that they are the only ones with whom I differ on those points. 9

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11 QUESTIONS QUESTION 1 In your opinion, what is the broad sequence of events relating to the return of Jesus Christ? ANSWER In my opinion several prophecies have yet to be fulfilled before the Lord returns. As they are fulfilled I see the sequence of events to be as follows: Israel will be invaded by a confederacy of nations as foretold in Ezekiel 38 and 39 The Jews will rebuild a temple (that the Beast will enter to fulfil 2 Thessalonians 2.4) There will be a falling away among believers as prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 2.3 The Beast will come on the world scene as 2 Thessalonians 2.3 foretells The Great Tribulation will occur as the Lord said in Matthew

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13 Immediately after the Tribulation the Lord will return as set out in Matthew His return is glorious as Matthew says His glorious return includes the Rapture of the saints as Matthew says. Many more Scriptures could be referred to in support of this sequence of events. Several of them will be cited in the answers to subsequent questions. QUESTION 2 Will the return of Christ be a single event or a two- stage event? ANSWER It will be a single event. The return of Jesus Christ is described and referred to in many passages of the Scriptures (for example: Daniel 2.44 and , 18, 22 and 27; Zechariah 14; Matthew and 36-43, and parallel passages in the other synoptic gospels; John ; Acts and ; 1 Corinthians ; 1 Thessalonians 2.19, , and 5.23; 2 Thessalonians ; Titus ; Hebrews , and ; James 5.7-9; 1 Peter 1.13 and 5.2-4; 2 Peter 3; 1 John ; 13

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15 Jude and Revelation 1.7, 25-28, , , , 16.15, , and 20). Not one of these passages makes any reference whatsoever to a two- stage return. ALL ENVISAGE A SINGLE EVENT! In a passage like Hebrews emphasis is laid on the fact that it is ONLY ONE EVENT. Notice that in verse 26, when referring to His first coming it says, but now ONCE in the end of the world He hath appeared. This truth is repeated in verse 28 where it says, Christ was ONCE offered to bear the sins of many and it goes on to say, and unto those that look for Him He shall appear A SECOND TIME without sin unto salvation. Clearly Jesus is coming back ONCE. Just as there was ONE first coming there will be ONE second coming (not a second and a third coming). QUESTION 3 Will there be a secret Rapture? By this I mean will Jesus Christ come back, unknown by the world, to take His saints away? ANSWER No. Scripture knows nothing of such an event. As stated in the answer to Question 2, the Lord is only coming back once. That coming will be witnessed publicly as Revelation 1.7 confirms, every 15

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17 eye shall see Him. It will be the least secret thing this world has ever experienced. Matthew 24 confirms it when it says in verse 30, then shall all tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The saints will be Raptured (caught up) at this glorious coming. QUESTION 4 Will the saints be Raptured before The Great Tribulation? ANSWER No. They will be Raptured (caught up), as the Lord returns, just after The Great Tribulation. This is made clear in Matthew Verse 29 sets the timing as, Immediately after the tribulation of those days (and verse 21 describes that tribulation as the worst the world has ever, or will ever, experience). According to verse 30 it is THEN that the Lord returns, in glory, and at this point in time, as set out in verse 31, the saints are caught up and gathered together. As 2 Thessalonians 2.1 confirms, it is a gathering together to Him (Christ). 17

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19 QUESTION 5 Does the Rapture of the saints occur at the same time as Christ s return in glory? ANSWER Yes. Many events occur subsequent to the Lord s return in glory (as referred to or described in such passages as Revelation and ). One of the very immediate events is the Rapture of the saints, as described in Matthew and referred to in the answer to the previous question. QUESTION 6 Is the event described in 1 Thessalonians (which I take to be the Rapture of the saints) the same event as is described in Matthew 24.31? 19

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21 ANSWER Yes. 1 Thessalonians is regarded as the classic description of the Rapture of the saints. Oddly enough it is used by many to try to support the false notion of a secret Rapture. This is very odd since the passage depicts a noisy, openly visible, world- wide event of immense proportions i.e.: There is the shout, v.16 (compare with John 5.25) There is the trump,v.16 There are millions rising from the dead There are millions of saints being transformed and caught up, v.17 Portraying such an event as unseen by the world is stretching the imagination beyond breaking point. It should also be pointed out that those who believe this to be secret have been the very ones to fail to keep it a secret, for it figures highly in their public preaching and in their teaching materials and their fictional writings and movies. 1 Thessalonians is completely consistent with the Matthew 24 account, as can be seen by: The Lord Himself descending - 1 Thess.4.16/Matt The sound of the trumpet- 1 Thess.4.16/Matt The catching up of the saints- 1Thess.4.17/Matt The presence of angels- 1Thess.4.16/Matt

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23 This conclusion is confirmed when other passages of Scripture are brought into the comparison. For example, 1 Thessalonians 4.16 says that the dead in Christ shall rise. Revelation 20.5, as part of the detailed description of the Lord s return (Revelation ) tells us that the Rapture occurs at the end of The Great Tribulation (after the Beast is destroyed Revelation 19.20). QUESTION 7 Could it be that Matthew 24 is written just for the Jews and 1Thessalonians is for Gentile believers (meaning that Jews go through The Great Tribulation and Gentile Christians do not)? ANSWER No. There are several reasons why that could not possibly be the case. Matthew 24 tells us about many things that will happen to the nation of Israel, but the information is given for all (both Jew and Gentile) to know. Matthew chapter 24 continues into chapter 25. The Lord s answer to the question(s) posed in 24.3 runs from 24.4 to The whole world is involved in and affected by the false Christs of 24.5, the wars of 24.6, the upheavals of 24.7 etc.; saved Jews and Gentiles are involved in the spread 23

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25 of the gospel (24.14); and most certainly the whole world is involved in the return of Jesus Christ ( ) and the events that follow it ( ). Clearly the passage is for Jew and Gentile, believer and unbeliever. In addition it should be remembered that: There is only ONE resurrection of the just (Luke 14.14, John 5.29, Revelation ) so there could not be two resurrection events for Christians (one for Jews and one for Gentiles). Saved Jews and saved Gentiles have been brought together into one body (the Church) (Ephesians ). The answer to question 4 confirmed that the Rapture of the saints occurs after The Great Tribulation, so believers (Jews and Gentiles) will go through that tribulation. The answer to question 6 confirmed that Matthew and 1 Thessalonians describe the same event. For all of these reasons the answer to the question must be No. QUESTION 8 Jesus made a promise to His disciples in John 14.3 that where I am there you may be also. Is this promise for the disciples only or Jews only or all of His true followers, both Jews and Gentiles? Do all true believers, whether Jew or Gentile, have the same ultimate destination? 25

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27 ANSWER John 14.3 can be linked to other Scriptures (such as John and 17.24) but the same promise is made to all the saints caught up to meet the Lord when He returns (1 Thessalonians 4.17 so shall we ever be with the Lord. ). All true, born again believers (the Church) whether Jew or Gentile, will have the same ultimate destination. I believe that when Jesus made that promise in John 14.3 He was referring to the new heaven and the new earth described in Revelation 21. In that chapter we see the Church, the bride, the Lamb s wife (v.9). The Lamb is with His bride (vs.3 and 22-23). QUESTION 9 In referring to the return of Jesus Christ Scripture uses three different words, namely parousia, epiphaneia, and apokalupsis. Do these words describe one and the same event or do they suggest that He will return more than once for different purposes? 27

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29 ANSWER Each of the words refer to exactly the same event, namely the one and only return of Jesus Christ. epiphaneia refers to His return IN GLORY (Titus 2.13) apokalupsis also refers to His return IN GLORY (1 Peter 4.13) parousia and epiphaneia are a used of the same event (2 Thessalonians 2.8) His return IN GLORY 2 Thessalonians 2 is an interesting chapter in that TWO OF THE WORDS OCCUR IN REFERENCE TO THE ONE EVENT. Verse 1 says Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming ( parousia ) of our Lord Jesus Christ and verse 8 goes on to speak of that coming by saying that the Lord shall destroy (the Beast) with the brightness ( epiphaneia ) of His coming ( parousia ). It is obvious that the words are used interchangeably. It is also worth noting that, while epiphaneia is used to refer to the return of the Lord, the other two words are by no means used exclusively to refer to the return of Jesus Christ. Parousia is used of the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus (1 Corinthians 16.17), the coming of Titus (2 Corinthians 7.6) and the coming of Paul (Philippians 1.26) etc. and apokalupsis is used to refer to the light to lighten the Gentiles (Luke 2 32), the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8.19) and spiritual revelations (2 Corinthians 12.1 and 7) etc.. This dispels any notion that these words are designated for some particular purpose of defining a doctrine or revealing hitherto unknown details about the return of Jesus Christ. 29

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31 Dispensational Teaching says that epiphaneia, translated appearing, manifestation, or brightness and apokalupsis, translated revelation both refer to the post- tribulation return of Jesus Christ WITH His saints, but that, parousia, translated coming, presence or advent refers to the pre- tribulation coming of the Lord FOR His saints. Most certainly epiphaneia and apokalupsis refer to the post- tribulation return of Jesus Christ, but so does parousia, for 1 Thessalonians 3.13 speaks of the coming (parousia) of our Lord WITH His saints. The truth is that it is ONE, POST- TRIBULATION RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST both WITH and FOR His saints, as is portrayed in 1 Thessalonians where the Lord Himself (v.16) descends from heaven bringing them which sleep in Jesus (v.14) WITH Him as He comes FOR those who are alive and remain (v.17). QUESTION 10 Where did the false teaching of a two- stage return of Jesus Christ come from? ANSWER It did not come from the Scriptures! 31

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33 By that I mean that it did not come from correct interpretation of the Scriptures. It came from Mis- interpretation. I need to say this because my purpose in writing this booklet is to give answers from the Scriptures. The answer to question 2 makes it clear that there is only one return of Jesus Christ and Matthew tells us that it will be Immediately after the tribulation. The modern form of Dispensationalism traces its beginnings to the teachings of John Nelson Darby from the Plymouth Brethren Movement. At the third Powerscourt Conference in 1833 Darby introduced his pre- tribulation Rapture theory. Other leaders disagreed with his views and ensuing debates led to a split in the movement. Darby s views gained wide acceptance leading to the establishment of an elaborate dispensational system. His views are seen to have closely followed those expressed earlier by the charismatic, defrocked Scots Presbyterian Edward Irving, who established the Catholic Apostolic Church, and similar beliefs can be traced back to sixteenth century Roman Catholic scholars, but, in a sense, the origins of the belief are irrelevant. The important thing is to identify wrong doctrine and avoid it. QUESTION 11 The Great Tribulation is prophesied in the Old Testament (Daniel 12.1) and it is spoken of as the time of Jacob s trouble (Jeremiah 30.7) 33

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35 indicating that it is for the nation of Israel. Why should we believe that members of the Church will go through it? ANSWER It is true that Israel will go through The Great Tribulation. However, it is not exclusively for them. The Old Testament made it clear that it is for all the inhabitants of the earth and all flesh (Jeremiah ), and the New Testament confirms that it shall come upon all the world (Revelation 3.10). A great deal of information is given in the book of The Revelation as to what will happen in the world during that period (particularly in chapters 6 to 19) but it is clear that the children of God (i.e. born again believers, both Jews and Gentiles) will be here on earth during that time. In the chapters referred to they are called the servants of our God (ch. 7 v. 3), those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (ch.12 v.17) and the saints (ch.13 v.7). The reason Why we should believe it is simple, namely, because the Scriptures tell us so. In some ways, though, it is strange that we ask why they will be there. The saints of God have gone through every other period of tribulation in the world. Why should they not go through this one? 35

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37 QUESTION 12 Do you think that the seventh trumpet in Revelation and the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians are one and the same? ANSWER Yes. There are several things that lead me to this conclusion, namely The seventh trumpet of Revelation is the LAST of the seven trumpets referred to in Revelation 8.2 and 6. We are told in Revelation 10.7 that in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished,. When the seventh angel sounds, the Lord returns (Revelation ). The trumpet of 1 Corinthians is called the LAST trump (trumpet). When the trumpet of 1 Corinthians sounds the Lord returns (1 Corinthians ). There can be only ONE last trumpet, so both passages must refer to the same trumpet. 37

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39 QUESTION 13 Are the seven churches mentioned in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 future congregations? ANSWER No. They are churches that existed in John s day. John was instructed to write to them (Revelation 1.11, 2.1, 2.8, 2.12, 3.1, 3.7, 3.14). However, the messages sent to these churches have lessons for all churches at all times, and a reasonable case can be made to suggest that the condition of the churches selected for the messages give an indication of the condition of churches in general, down the ages. Scriptures have a primary intent but they can have more than one application. QUESTION 14 Revelation and 1 Thessalonians 5.2 refer to the Lord coming as a thief in the night. Do these verses prove the secret Rapture? 39

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41 ANSWER No. They confirm that we do not know the timing of the Lord s return, but when He returns it will be the most public event that has ever occurred (Revelation 1.7). Both Scriptures, in their context, show that the Lord s return will be very public and will occur at the end of The Great Tribulation. Revelation sees the Lord making the promise just before the gathering at Armageddon (V.16). The battle with the Beast and his armies has arrived and the Lord has not yet returned! His return is described in detail ( ) and as He returns He destroys the Beast ( ) and sets up His Millennial Kingdom. 1 Thessalonians 5.2 is part of a narrative that runs from chapter 4 verse13 to chapter 5 verse 11. In this passage we see the Lord return (4.16), the resurrection of the saints (4.16), the transformation of the living saints (4.17) and the destruction of the wicked (5.3). The passages support each other and are consistent with all other passages describing the Lord s return. It is worth noting that verses 4 and 5 of I Thessalonians 5 tell us that the day of the Lord s coming will not overtake believers as a thief. 41

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43 QUESTION 15 God s wrath will be poured out during The Great Tribulation (Revelation 15.1). 1 Thessalonians 5.9 says God has not appointed us to wrath. Does this not contradict a post- tribulation Rapture? ANSWER In 1 Thessalonians Paul mentions God s wrath more than once. In chapter 1 verse 10 he says they are waiting for the return of Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. The wrath to come when Jesus returns is eternal wrath in hell. This is the wrath referred to in chapter 5 verse 9. The saints have not been appointed to that wrath, but rather they have been appointed to salvation. This is what the verse clearly says, For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,. The verse makes no reference to The Great Tribulation and it has nothing to say about the timing of the Rapture. If the saints needed to be removed from the earth to be protected from times of God pouring out His wrath then they would have had to be removed many times in the past and we should not be on the earth today. Just take a concordance and look up the references to God s wrath. It has been poured out in the past (Exodus 15.7) and it will continue to be poured out (Ephesians 5.6). It makes no sense that God should choose 43

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45 one particular period of the pouring out of His wrath to take His children out of the world. During The Great Tribulation God will, as you say, pour out wrath (Revelation 15.1) but the saints will be protected from it (compare Revelation and 9.4) (and, of- course they are protected from it BECAUSE THEY ARE ON EARTH DURING IT!). At this same time Satan will be pouring out his wrath (Revelation 12.12) and evil men will be pouring out their wrath (Revelation 13.7) and the saints will suffer from both of these sources (Revelation and 13.7). The answer is clear. There is no contradiction. 1 Thessalonians 5 records the facts: The wicked will suffer destruction V.3 The saints will receive salvation V.9 Both events will occur on the DAY of the Lord vs.2-4 (after The Great Tribulation). QUESTION 16 In my understanding THE CHURCH was built by Jesus Christ when He was on earth (Matthew 16.18) and this is the secret revealed in Ephesians and Is it not correct, then, to conclude that ISRAEL and THE CHURCH must be separate and be distinguished from each other? Consequently, what God promised to ISRAEL (an earthly kingdom) cannot be given to the Church and what has been promised to THE CHURCH (a heavenly kingdom) cannot be given to Israel? 45

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47 ANSWER This is an important question. It has, however, some errors, mixed with some truths. We need to separate the two before clear answers can be given. TRUTHS: * Yes, ISRAEL and THE CHURCH are different and separate - ISRAEL is a nation (Romans ) - THE CHURCH is Christ s body (Ephesians ) * Yes, ISRAEL will receive the earthly kingdom promised to it * Yes THE CHURCH will receive the heavenly kingdom promised to it ERRORS: * No, Jesus did not complete the building of the church when He was here on earth. - Matthew confirms that the church is a work in progress * No, Ephesians chapters 2 and 3 do not show the church as a completed work - It is seen as a work in progress Having said this, a few statements should clear the way for straightforward answers. 47

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49 First, Israel is a nation. From it was first formed (as promised to Abram in Genesis 12.2) until the end of time it will remain a nation (Jeremiah ). God cannot lie (Titus 1.2) so He will fulfil every promise He has made to it, including the earthly kingdom (which will see its ultimate fulfilment in the Millennial Kingdom Micah 4.1-4, Zechariah 8.23, , etc.). Second, The Church, as Christ s body, consists of all true believers (Old Testament and New Testament Ephesians , Jew and Gentile Ephesians 3.6). In this regard, the mystery (Ephesians 3.4) revealed in the passages referred to in the question is that Jews and Gentiles are part of the ONE body (Ephesians 3.6). This is the whole thrust of both passages and Paul is seen to be involved, by grace (Ephesians 3.2) in the ongoing work of building The Church (Ephesians ). This is consistent with Christ s statement in Matthew that He WILL build His Church i.e. it is a work that is not yet finished (nor will it be finished until the last member of the Church is brought within the fold - John 10.16). God will fulfil every promise made to The Church, including the heavenly kingdom (Revelation ). Third, saved Jews are part of the Jewish nation by natural birth. They do not cease to be Jews when they are saved, just as I did not cease to be British. During the Millennium The Church (through the first Resurrection Revelation ) will be on earth to enjoy that kingdom (Daniel 7.27), and saved Jews as members of The Church and members of the nation of Israel, will share in that kingdom (Luke ). On the basis of these facts the answers are straightforward. Yes, Israel and the Church are separate and, yes, each will receive what God has promised to it. 49

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51 QUESTION 17 Some dispensationalists, on the basis of Matthew , teach that during the tribulation people will be saved by works. Is this true? ANSWER No. Scripture is clear regarding the ONE AND ONLY way of salvation. It is by means of the rebirth alone (John 3.3). It is by grace, through faith and definitely not of works (Ephesians ). No salvation results from human works (Romans 3.20). As Isaiah 64.6 says, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God s sight. Many Scriptures could be quoted to reinforce this truth. As you say, some dispensationalists teach salvation by works during The Great Tribulation. False cults teach salvation by works during all times. All such teaching is wrong. Matthew is talking about flesh being saved, so it is not talking about eternal salvation. It is referring to physical survival. Matthew refers to the difficulties and persecutions of The Great Tribulation causing many to grow cold in the faith and testing the genuineness of their faith. The genuine will endure, but those who are not genuine will fall away (1 John ). 51

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53 QUESTION 18 Some dispensationalists say that the gospel of the kingdom (referring to the earthly kingdom promised to the Jews) was preached to the Jews (Mark 1.14), but, when they rejected Christ the gospel of grace (Acts 20.24) was introduced to include the Gentiles. Is this correct? ANSWER No. Many titles are used for the gospel and each title draws attention to a different aspect of the gospel, for example: The gospel of your salvation (Ephesians 1.13) for it leads us to salvation The gospel of peace (Ephesians 6.15) for it brings peace The gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1.1) for Christ died for our sins, and many other relevant titles could be quoted, but they are the same gospel. The title gospel of the kingdom is appropriate because, by salvation, we are made citizens of Christ s Kingdom (Colossians ) and the title the gospel of grace is appropriate because we are saved by grace (Ephesians ). They are, however, THE SAME GOSPEL. Some people teach that God changed His plans when the nation of Israel rejected Christ. This is false teaching. God knew they would reject Christ. It was written in Isaiah 53. God knows everything that will happen before it happens (Isaiah ) so He never needs to change His plans. This is 53

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55 exactly what James was saying in relation to the spread of gospel preaching to the Gentiles (Acts ). The gospel of the kingdom is the very title used in Matthew for gospel preaching that will continue until the Lord returns. One of the gospel s titles is the everlasting gospel (Revelation 14.6) indicating that it is the ONLY gospel FOR ALL TIME. Paul rejects any and all other gospels as false and prays for a curse on those who preach them (Galatians 1.6-9). It is interesting that the title everlasting gospel is used during The Great Tribulation (another period when false teaching says there will be salvation by works). QUESTION 19 Who or what is the restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2.6? ANSWER The answer involves both a WHO and a WHAT! The New King James Version of the Scriptures refers to WHAT is restraining in verse 6 and He WHO now restrains in verse 7 of 2 Thessalonians 2. The King James Version uses the words WHAT 55

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57 withholdeth in v.6 and he WHO now letteth in v.7, but the meaning is the same. Paul had spoken to the Thessalonians before on this subject (see v.5) so he only had to add a little information and he was confident that they would understand what was to happen before the man of sin (the Beast) would appear on the world scene (v.6). In 1 Thessalonians he had told them about the Rapture and everything that would happen then. Now he tells them that the Rapture will not occur until the Beast appears (v. 1-3) and is destroyed (v.8). In 1 Thessalonians 5.3 he had told them that times of supposed safety in the world would prove to be times that would bring sudden destruction and would herald the day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5.2-4). He had warned them against slackness (1 Thessalonians 5.6) in light of the falling away there would be among professing Christians (2 Thessalonians 2.3, compare Matthew 24.12, 1 Thessalonians 4.1 etc.) and he gave them further warning (2 Thessalonians 2.1-5). He was talking to well instructed people in 2 Thessalonians and, consequently we need to have background knowledge to enable us to understand its teaching. The restrainer/withholder is in view in verses 3 to 8. It refers to WHATEVER has to happen before the time comes for the Beast to arrive on the world scene. This would include the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem for him to defile (v.4) and every other sign of the times that has to be fulfilled (so that is the WHAT part of the answer). God controls all events ( so He is the WHO side of the answer). God may choose to do things Himself or He may choose to do things through agents (either angels or humans). If agents are used they become part of the WHO. 57

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59 Oswald J. Smith in his booklet Tribulation or Rapture Which? comments on v.7 saying he concludes that the first he is God, since He controls all things, and the second he is the Beast because the last part of the verse should be translated, is revealed in the midst. Oswald s comments would lead to a translation of the verse somewhat as follows: For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only God who now restrains will do so until the man of sin is revealed in the midst. Whatever the wording of verse 6 may be the message of the chapter is clear: The Rapture will not occur until the Beast appears and is destroyed The Beast will not appear until everything that has been prophesied as prior occurs When those prophecies have been fulfilled the Beast will appear When the Lord returns He will deal with all evil and complete our salvation In all this, as in all God s plans and purposes, we can take comfort. QUESTION 20 1 Corinthians and Hebrews speak of enemies being put under Christ s footstool. Does this refer to Christ s millennial reign? Will these enemies be spiritual beings or human beings? 59

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61 ANSWER 1 Corinthians says, For He (Jesus Christ) must reign, till He hath put ALL enemies under His feet. Clearly it encompasses ALL enemies, whether they be principalities and powers (Ephesians 6.12), human beings (Revelation ) or inanimate things (such as death as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15.26). Jesus will reign until every last enemy is defeated including: All enemies at the end of this age (Revelation ), Satan and those who follow him at the close of the Millennium (Revelation ), And all enemies who are present at the final judgement (Revelation ). QUESTION 21 Will the second coming of Jesus Christ be the same as His first coming, in that He will come to and live on the earth? ANSWER Yes, those aspects of His first and second advents will be the same. There will be many differences in His first and second comings (as Scriptures like 61

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63 Hebrews point out). At His first coming He came as a baby to spend some 33 years here, be rejected, to die for our sins, and to rise again as Saviour and Lord. At His second coming He comes as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19.16) to set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth (Revelation ), to judge (Revelation ), to set up a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21.1) and to reign for ever (Revelation ). However, on your specific points, He will return to this same earth that He came to at His first advent (Acts 1.11 and Zechariah ). He will rule on this earth for 1,000 years (Revelation ) before carrying out the remainder of His plans (Revelation ). QUESTION 22 At the Rapture the saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4.17). Why do we meet Him in the air when we are going to return to the earth for the Millennium? ANSWER We live on a globe. Jesus will return to one place on this globe (Zechariah 14.4, His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east ). In 2 Thessalonians 2.1 the Rapture is described as our gathering together unto Him. The only way the saints 63

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65 from all parts of the world can be gathered unto Christ, in the one location, is for them to be caught up as described in 1 Thessalonians 4.17 and gathered together as described in Matthew QUESTION 23 Dispensationalists tell us that at the Rapture there will be absolute chaos with millions of Christians disappearing, planes crashing because their pilots disappeared, cars, trains and buses crashing because their drivers have disappeared, children left without parents etc. If the Millennium follows the Rapture how can there be peace on earth such as is described for the Millennial Kingdom? ANSWER The dispensational teaching regarding a secret Rapture before The Great Tribulation (at least seven years before the Millennium) is false. The timing is wrong and the alleged secrecy is wrong, as has been shown in the answers to earlier questions. The chaos is also wrong. The only true assertion in the question is that there will be peace on earth during the Millennium (Micah 4.1-4). You can depend on that. Jesus will rule, as promised (Zechariah 14.9) and His rule will be marked by peace and justice (Isaiah 9.6-7). 65

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67 QUESTION 24 When and where will the judgement of saints and the marriage of the Lamb be? ANSWER As regards THE JUDGEMENT OF THE SAINTS, The Lord will return to the earth (Zechariah 14.4) to reign on the earth (Zechariah 14.9) for the millennium, with His saints (Revelation ), so, the judgement of saints will be ON THE EARTH, JUST PRIOR TO THE MILLENNIUM. Having been judged (Matthew , Romans ), they will receive their rewards during the Millennium (Matthew and , 1 Corinthians and 6.2 etc.). As regards THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB, it can only occur when the last saint is saved and THE BRIDE (the Lamb s wife) is complete. It would, therefore, occur after the Millennium. The last search of the Lamb s book of life (for names of saved people) is at the final ( great white throne ) judgement (Revelation ), and it is only after this that John is invited to see the Lamb s wife (Revelation 21,9). All of this leads me to believe that the marriage of the Lamb will take place ON THE NEW EARTH AFTER THE FINAL JUDGEMENT. 67

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69 In Revelation chapter 19, when the return of the Lord is being anticipated by the great multitude in heaven (vs. 1-6) the following words are recorded, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready (v.7). I take this to be a parallel passage to Revelation where the twenty four elders are anticipating the same event (the return of the Lord) and the following words are recorded, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath has come and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (vs.17-18). This does not, as we know, mean that all of these things will happen immediately the Lord returns, for example, the judgement of the dead does not occur until a thousand years has passed (Revelation 20.5). The events are not even recorded in chronological order (for the saints are rewarded before the final judgement). Revelation 19.5 does, on this basis, not mean that the marriage of the Lamb occurs immediately after the Lord s return. 69

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71 QUESTION 25 How and when will Israel and the Gentiles find peace and happiness? ANSWER It is highly unlikely that peace will be experienced for any lengthy period, for either Jew or Gentile, until the Lord returns. Scriptures like Matthew , Luke and 2 Timothy convey a picture of troubled times as the return of the Lord approaches. Times of peace will, however, come when The Prince of Peace returns and takes over the reins of government (Isaiah ). His reign (in the Millennial Kingdom) will make Jerusalem a place of peace and happiness (Isaiah ). The Jews will be happy and the Gentiles will be reconciled to them (Micah and Zechariah 8.23). Even old, traditional enemies will be reconciled (Isaiah ). QUESTION 26 Will there be any survivors from The Great Tribulation? If, as some teach, the believers are taken to heaven at the Rapture and all unbelievers are damned, because they followed the Beast and received his mark, there will be no one left to populate the Millennial Kingdom. 71

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73 ANSWER Yes, there will be many who will survive The Great Tribulation. The teaching that believers are taken to heaven at the Rapture is false, as is the teaching that all people on earth who have not been converted before Jesus returns will be sent to hell when He returns. As I expand on the answer to this question, I will explain what I believe Scripture teaches on these matters. Several mentions are made of groups that survive, for example: (i) Daniel describes the last world empire before the return of Jesus Christ. It lasts a long time and experiences several changes (as also shown in Daniel ). The little horn of verse 8 (being also the the other horn of verse 20) is the Beast and it is during The Great Tribulation that he makes war with the saints (v.21). At the end of the tribulation we have the return of Jesus Christ and His reign on earth (v s & 27). As all of this is described verses tell us that when the Beast is slain the rest of the Beasts (i.e. other world powers) continue to live (i.e. survive The Great Tribulation). This means there will be many unconverted people of many nations who will live through The Great Tribulation and pass into the Millennium. This is seen in other Scriptures dealing with this time period, for example Zechariah chapter 14, where the Lord s return in glory, at the end of The Great Tribulation, is seen in verses 1-4, His reign on earth is confirmed in verse 9 and, while multitudes are slain (verses 12-15), many are left (verse 16) and verses show that, even during the Millennium 73

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75 (i) (ii) (iii) they will be rebellious. Another example would be Micah where Gentiles from many nations are seen, during the Millennium, going up to the house of God. They obviously came through The Great Tribulation or were born to those who did. 1 Thessalonians 4.17 refers to believers who are alive and remain until the Lord returns. They take part in the Rapture and the coinciding first resurrection (1 Thessalonians , expanded on in 1 Corinthians and set in context by Matthew and Revelation as being at the end of The Great Tribulation). Thus we see that many believers survive The Great Tribulation. Zechariah chapters 12, 13 and 14 tell the moving story of what is to be experienced by the Jews during The Great Tribulation. Many will perish (13.8) but many will survive (13.9). The survivors will say, The Lord is my God (13.9) for they will have been to the fountain for sin and uncleanness (13.1) and they will recognise their Messiah when He appears (Revelation 1.7). Thus the promises will be fulfilled that the nation of Israel will go through The Great Tribulation but will be saved out of it (Jeremiah 30.7). We see, therefore, that many Jews, many unconverted Gentiles and many believers ( of all nations, kindreds and people just like the great multitude spoken of in Revelation ) will survive The Great Tribulation. 75

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77 QUESTION 27 Does 2 Thessalonians 2.12 imply that every person who is unconverted when the Lord returns will be lost for all eternity and be immediately sent to hell? If it does not mean that does it mean that they are having a second chance? (And if people think they can just wait till Jesus comes, and then accept Him would this not breed complacency?) ANSWER This is an important question and each part needs a clear answer. We have seen from Scriptures used in answering question 26 that many people who are unconverted will come through The Great Tribulation and continue to live into the Millennium, so the answer to the first part is, no. This does not, however, mean that they have a second chance. The verse referred to (2 Thessalonians 2.12) says, That they ALL might be damned WHO BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. To BELIEVE NOT the truth you have to HEAR and REJECT it. There will be many, many people in the world, when the Lord returns, who will never have heard the gospel. This will be the case, even though the gospel will have been preached in all the world (Matthew 24.14). In my younger days, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a fellow workmate (in his mid twenties) asked me a question and I said, The answer is in John He then asked, Who is John? I could hardly believe that a person of his age, living in Northern Ireland at a time when the gospel was preached on 77

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79 almost every street corner, did not know the books of the Bible and, as it turned out, had never heard the gospel. I had the joy of seeing that young man converted several days later, but there are millions of people in the world today who have had no opportunity to respond to the gospel because they have never heard it (even though it is preached in their language). You cannot have a second chance until you have had a first chance. There are several ways of thinking about the subject of a second chance. My own understanding of a second chance is the teaching that you have a chance of being saved after you die. This is false as is made clear in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke see v.26), and as is clear from the Lord s words in John 8, if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins (v.24) and, I go My way, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go ye cannot come (v.21). When I think of my own circumstances I recall hearing the gospel many times before I accepted Christ as my Saviour and Lord. How many chances did I get? This would be true of many people! Would we then deny the right of some to a first chance? If a person has heard the gospel and not accepted Christ (which is, in effect, the same as rejecting God s offer of salvation) then that person is INCLUDED in the number who will be damned according to 2 Thessalonians This, to me, means that there is no room for the foolishness of complacency. The only time we can be saved is when God The Father draws us (John 6.44). We do not know when He will cease to draw us, so it is only the fool who would be complacent. We do not need to die, nor does the Lord need to return, for that to happen. Whilst we do not need 79